Rare snail found in Gwydir wetlands

A rare and endangered river snail has been discovered in wetlands on a property on the Gwydir River, west of Moree.

The 4,292 hectare Old Dromana property was sold to the state government in February so ecologically significant wetlands could be maintained and protected.

It contains 74 per cent of the internationally recognised wetlands in the area.

Environmental Scientist with the Department of Environment Climate Change and Water Sharon Bowen says recent rainfall has brought the wetlands alive.

"There's been many, many species of waterbirds including over 300 magpie geese were counted at one particular location and they're preparing to nest so that's wonderful news," she said.

"We saw jaberoos which was fabulous and lots of other species of water birds which are flocking to the site because of it's increased response to this beautiful rainfall and water that we've been receiving recently," she said

The 608 hectares of internationally significant wetlands provide a home for birds, frogs and other native wildlife.

Sharon Bowen says the snail was a surprising find.

"It's a very interesting banded river snail, which is an aquatic snail," she said.

"Now people probably think a snail's a snail but these snails are extremely rare, they give birth to live young which is not what people think when they think of snails and they only occur in these very intermittently flooded wetland complex sites," she said.